Darlene Martin

January 15, 1927 -December 5, 2017

Darlene Martin, 90, of Champaign, died Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at Presence Covenant Medical Center. Funeral services will be at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, December 9, 2017 at St. John Lutheran Church, 509 S. Mattis Ave., Champaign. The Reverend Jeff Caithamer will officiate. Burial will be in Grandview Memorial Gardens,…read more

Darlene Martin, 90, of Champaign, died Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at Presence Covenant Medical Center. Funeral services will be at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, December 9, 2017 at St. John Lutheran Church, 509 S. Mattis Ave., Champaign. The Reverend Jeff Caithamer will officiate. Burial will be in Grandview Memorial Gardens, Champaign.
Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday, December 8, 2017 at Morgan Memorial Home, 1304 Regency Dr. West, Savoy. There will also be a visitation one hour before the funeral on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
Darlene was born January 15, 1927 in Buckley, a daughter of Otto Henry and Anna Wilhelmina (Abraham) Brackmann. She married Charles H. Martin on August 24, 1947 in Buckley. He preceded her in death.
Survivors include her daughter Susan (Earl) Bialeschki, son Charles (Phyllis) Martin, and son Daniel (Beth) Martin all of Champaign and 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by brothers Rogers (Diane) Brackmann of Wheaton, IL and Derald (Charlotte) Brackmann of Pasadena, CA along with many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers William and Gerald Brackmann, and her beloved daughter Dianne Elizabeth Pierce.
After graduating from Buckley High School in 1944, she went to work as a secretary at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul. It is there she met the love of her life, Chuck in 1947. After only 3 months of courtship the two were married in Buckley and were married for more than 60 years until Chuck’s death on December 10, 2007.
Darlene was a homemaker for 30 years until she decided to get her real estate license in 1977 at the age of 50. She continued to sell real estate well into her 80’s.
Darlene was never one to sit still. Real estate was something that always kept her busy. If she wasn’t doing that she could always be found attending her grandchildren’s function’s or out to eat or having coffee with her friends.
Darlene will always be remembered for the great love she had for her family. But, she will be remembered most of all for her love of Jesus and how she would fearlessly witness to others about Him! She was a faithful member of St. John Lutheran Church and was actively involved in many church functions.
Though Darlene is no longer with us on this earth, we know that all of her pain and suffering is now over. And though we will miss her greatly and are saddened by her death, we rejoice that she is at rest in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Memorial contributions may be made to St. John Lutheran Church Organ Fund, 509 S. Mattis Ave., Champaign, Illinois, 61821.